


Coney Island Baby

by sewer_seance



Category: The Great Gatsby (2013)
Genre: Ice Cream, M/M, Modern AU, Nick Carraway - Freeform, One Shot, grest gatsby, jay gatsby - Freeform, like nick, short and sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-27 17:06:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15689709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sewer_seance/pseuds/sewer_seance
Summary: Nick is spending his summer working in a 1920’s theme ice cream shoppe when one day an intriguing customer comes in.





	Coney Island Baby

It could be worse. His uniform could be a starchy pinstripe shirt and a jaunty boater. He could be working through the summer heat at a job that, to be honest, he never wanted. He could be stuck in the city of dreams, not able to live his own.

Oh wait.

That’s exactly what he was doing.

When Nick came to New York, he had big plans. But big plans takes money, something he found himself short of. That’s how he found himself working a summer job at a themed ice cream shoppe called Coney Island Scoop: something he was careful to keep secret from his cousin who lived upstate. She would have a fit (Nicky was too good to join the zombified work force), and her husband would be less than kind if he found out Nick’s financial situation. They invited (demanded) him over every Sunday. And every Sunday Nick would wear his nicest clothes and make up something full about his “internship” as a Stock Associate. They never asked details, so luckily, he could get away with it.

It was a surprisingly slow day at Coney Island Scoop. “The calm before the storm,” Nick reflected sardonically. Just then, the tinkling of a bell came from the front of the shoppe, signaling the arrival of a customer. With a sigh, he stood up from the only chair granted to the employees and made his way out behind the counter. “Hiya Jack!” Nick plastered on his service smile and adopted the required affected tone when speaking to customers, “What’s your Scoop?” Nick’s sentence faltered as the customer looked up from the selection, his “Scoop” sounding more like a pitiful “scooooo-”. A dazzling smile met his own awkward fish lips. Nick was never one for cliches, but time stood still for a moment as he gazed at this cherubic face framed by a glowing halo.

“I’ll take a scoop of the Golden Jazz, Old Sport,” he winked, a laugh just hidden underneath his voice as he mimicked Nick’s voice. Nick blinked. The halo wasn’t a halo after all, but a head full of thick gold hair. The cherub wasn’t a cherub either but a beyond ridiculously attractive man about his age (he guessed). Nick nodded quickly to the request, the boater nearly falling off as he stopped to scoop the ice cream. He handed over the caramelly cone, hoping that his deep blush might be mistaken for the heat.

“God,” the man sighed as he took his ice cream, giving Nick a concerned once over, “It just be awful stuffy in that get up. You have to wear that for work?”

“Yessiree,” Nick grumbled, his face growing hotter when the man laughed.

“Well at least you’re a good sport about it!” He chuckled, handing over his payment, another wink making his eyes crinkle. Nick shrugged, a smile, a _real_ smile, being pulled out from him.

“What’s your favorite?” The man kept up the conversation, eyes carefully trained on Nick as he counted out his change.

“Pardon?”

The man gestured to the wide variety surrounding them a repeated the question.

“Oh! Uhh,” Nick took a while to consider. Of course over his short time working here, he had generously sampled all of the flavors. But he had never given much thought to a favorite. Ice cream was ice cream: plain and deliciously simple. “I guess, Blues Berry,” he smiled up at the man who nodded his approval. Approval which Nick found he very much needed from him.

“Well...here’s your change,” Nick passed him the few coins, their fingers grazing. Accidentally touching the customer’s hand usually made Nick blush in embarrassment but this time he blushed for a whole other reason. For the few seconds he felt them, the man’s fingers were as warm as his smile. Warm enough to send a shock down Nick’s spine.

“Have a good day… Old Sport,” The man slipped into an affected tone again with a smirk as he slid a tip towards Nick. He waggled his eyebrows and with the same tinkling bell that brought him in, he left. Nick let out a sigh, able to breath normal again now that the ridiculously attractive man had gone. Sighed half out of relief, half out of disappointment. He scooped up the tip and let out a strangled squawk (good thing the man wasn’t around to hear _that_ ). It was a 100 dollar bill. An honest to god, certified 100 dollar bill wrapped around a simple business card. The only thing written on the card, in an overly important scrawl: Gatsby.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, so I just wanted to right a silly little one shot. I may extend it if people want, but for now it’s just short and sweet and a silly little story. I missed my boys and wasn’t inspired by a lot of things so I did what I could.   
> Also this was sort of a joint prompt thing. My friend, @UltimateThottie, and I both work at an Ice cream store and both wrote ice cream fics. It’s her first one so swing by and check out Bubblegum! 
> 
> As always, I adore your comments and feedback. Don’t be shy!


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